Listening to the anti-way crowd harping about there being "no support" in Arab countries for removing Saddam Hussein, you'd think that all those gulf states would be regular cheering sections for the old despot.

AT least 13 Bahrainis may still be missing in Iraq, after vanishing during the Gulf War in 1991.

The families of four of them have already given them up for dead, says Al Wefaq National Islamic Society human rights committee head Adel Abbasi.

"Their families even held a wake, because people have told them that they were shot," said Mr Abbasi.

All those missing were studying in Iraq when it invaded Kuwait in August 1990 and have not been heard of since the Gulf War started in January 1991.

Not only are these people missing and probably dead, but the Iraqi government has never admitted what they did to them.

A Barhaini aid society has gotten involved:

Society president Shaikh Ali Salman called a meeting of all the families, about two months ago, at the society's premises in Manama.

"In the meeting with families, Shaikh Ali proposed that a delegation consisting of members of families of the missing students should be sent to Iraq, in order to put an end to the long term unresolved issue," said Mr Abbasi.

"However, the families were scared to go to Iraq, saying their sons or brothers were missing there, so they could not trust the Iraqi regime."

The final suggestion, said Mr Abbasi, was that a delegation from different societies should go to Iraq instead of family members.

"This did not happen as we are still working on the idea and on who should go to Iraq. We have not been able to find volunteers to do so," he said.

It is in any way surprising that they can't find volunteers to go to Iraq? Don't worry, Mr. Abbasi. The US Army will go in your stead, and they'll find out what happened to your friends.